Survival
=[ Survival Offworld]= There is always a risk of being trapped offworld, unable to reach or access the Gate to return to Earth or some other safe location. This could be for a variety of reasons including:- Hostile forces between you & the Gate; a failure of the Gate system or damage to the DHD; or you're simply lost & can't find your way back to the Gate (for instance, if overtaken by nightfall on an unfamiliar world.) In these circumstances you need to be able to survive for a more or less long period of time with minimal resources. [ Basic Preparations] You need to be specifically prepared for this eventuality. It is not sufficient to rely on the fact that you are well armed & carry some food & water. If your enforced stay is lengthy, carried stores will quickly run out. Using a firearm for hunting, even if game is plentiful will quickly teach it to avoid you & may attract unwelcome attention. Wet weather will destroy matches & trying to cut a shelter with a double edged fighting knife will quickly end in grief. The minimum requirements for a survival kit are:- A means of collecting, storing & purifying water. A reliable means of making fire. A strong sharp single edged knife. You can quickly add to this list, some cordage will always be useful, & a poncho or tarp for shelter but it all adds weight. Anywhere there are naturally occurring material you can make other things that you need. Roots, vines or strips of some barks can be woven into cordage. Foliage can be constructed into a shelter but without the three basics you will struggle to do any of that. Plastic sheet that can be fashioned into a funnel will serve two purpose. It can collect & direct falling (rain)water into your storage container, or suitably spread above moist ground it will collect condensation. A supply of purification tabs will keep your water safe until you can get a fire going & boil it. Do not rely on matches for fire lighting. You need a flint & steel or a firebow & a small supply of kindling, & you need to practice, practice, practice using them, especially with damp materials. It's not easy. Your knife needs to be hefty, single edged & razor sharp. It should be able to bear a lot of side force without snapping & the back must be broad enough for you to bear down on with your off hand without discomfort. a good small stone is a worthwhile addition for honing the edge. [ Be aware of your surroundings] What you see around you will tell you volumes about your surroundings. Look for animal tracks & dropping near anywhere that looks like a good place to fort up. If it looks cosy to you, local wildlife may have had the same idea. If you find droppings containing hair or fur (given away by a “pointy” appearance) give the area a wide berth as a campsite. The animal that produced them is a carnivore. You can drink water from pools in hard rock or gathered on smooth surfaced leaves. Beware of Furry leaves, they may be toxic or harbour parasites. Use your ingenuity. You can make a water container from leaves or bark but you won't be able to heat it over a fire. You can boil water though by putting rocks heated in the fire into your container. Be aware of the direction of the prevailing wind. Watch up wind for changes in the weather and downwind for possible predators. [ Training & Resources] The above can only give you a tiny flavour of the techniques of survival. Ideally you need hands on training & you should take any opportunity that arises. We are looking at the possibility of organising such training within the SEF. There are many good books on survival techniques & I recommend that you obtain a couple. It's always worth getting two viewpoints. John (Lofty) Wiseman is the grandaddy of survival experts. You should definitely have one of his books. Ray Mears too is worthwhile. He is very strong on making the minimum impact on your surroundings. I'm not a fan of Bear Gryllis. He's flashy & seems to make things harder than they need to be. ---- Back to Miscellany Category:General Information